Distractions
by Nephren-Ka7
Summary: Wandering eyes make work difficult


**Distractions**

After the first melodramatic piece of bunk now my second experiment. This time I have gone for something lighthearted. It's part of the same continuity though, my own version of future history that I hope to fully flesh out one day. Will need lots of practice first obviously. I am really fond of the idea that Cameron has to exist as a bare endoskeleton for a while.

If you should ever see something in my stuff that inspires you, dear reader, take it and use it. It will be probably better of in your hands.

John Connor was reading a report while Cameron was repairing minor damage to her left arm. At least the young general was supposed to study the data provided by both TechCom Intelligence and the Free Machine Faction lead by John Henry and T-1001 aka Catherine Weaver.

But he found himself distracted by the unique beauty of his wife's endoskeleton and after trying to force himself to concentrate without success, he finally gave in to his urge and set back comfortably, just watching her.

"John Henry has sent me a message. Next time I visit the FMF everything will be ready for my upgrade." Cameron informed her husband without looking up from her repair work.

John nodded despite the fact she couldn't see it. "So he thinks there will be no problems?"

"No, technically it is all quite easy. Strictly speaking it will be not much more than bringing me up to the level of SkyNet's newer models. Of course there are some special extras among the detailed specifications I sent him. Extras that will be unique to myself."

John was intrigued. "Yeah, you mentioned those mysterious "extras" before but you refused to tell anything about them."

"And I will continue to do so." "You know, Cam, it's not very nice of you to tease me first, dangle this little bits of information right before my nose, stimulate my imagination, only to cruelly snatch them away."

"It's called a surprise John." she replied. "Well, if it's supposed to be a surprise than don't mention it at all and stop teasing me with it. Years ago you told me you were not programmed to be cruel. Hah, what a joke. You have quite a sadistic streak, my love."

"I tend to do a lot of things I was never programmed for, now a days. And you tend to like them. Concerning my so called "teasing", it is to late to take back the first time I told you about the "extras" so there is no reason to not continue mentioning it."

John had to admit she had a point there. "Fine, don't tell me. But you could at least give me a clue. Could it have anything to do with improving our sex life, for example?"  
Cameron looked up for the first time since the conversation had begun and stared at him with her glowing, blue eyes. "You seem to imply that you are less than satisfied with our sex life." "What, no! No, that was only a stupid joke. Typical male stupidity. I am more than satisfied by my goddess, you know that.  
I mean it's not like you couldn't tell if I lied to you, not that I ever would and ..."

She tilted her head. "Gotcha." John frowned. "I walk into your little traps again and again. Seriously, if _you_ were my enemy instead of SkyNet, humanity would be screwed. Sometimes I really wonder why so many people think I am such a smart guy."

Cameron smiled at him, and he once again marveled at how expressive her "true" face was. And how alluring. "Love makes us do stupid things. There is no shame in that and intelligence is no least according to many wise humans and James Ellison. As long as you don't fall in love with SkyNet, there is no chance in hell for it to beat you."

"Ugh, that last sentence is both great compliment and the single most horribly wrong thing I have ever heard. I mean wrong not only in the sense of factually wrong but..."

"I know exactly what you mean, John. But still, thank you for trying to explain."

He chuckled. "Than nothing remains to do but to bow before your unsurpassed wisdom."

Cameron looked down at her arm and returned to her work. "Good that you realized that. You should continue studying the intelligence reports, now."

"As you wish, my Lady." And he tried, he really did, but to no avail. Like it was being pulled by a powerful magnetic force, his gaze returned to her, wandering over her slender body.

"John, I know you are staring at me. Perhaps I should finish my repairs in an other room. These reports are very important, not only the ones on SkyNet and it's activities." "I can't help it, you are just so beautiful. I mean, I always knew you were beautiful inside and out, but now I know for sure."

Cameron looked away. Were she a human being, she would have blushed. She was very happy and deeply grateful that her John had proofed her greatest fear unfounded, her fear that he might not be able to love her as before when directly confronted with her nonhuman nature. On the day the fire had burned away the living tissue covering her hyper alloy chasis their relationship had passed this test with flying colors. There were no words in any human language to express the debt of her gratitude and so she had made it her mission to devote the rest of her existance to showing him with deeds and showering him with her own love for as long as he lived. But as he himself was fond of saying, there was a time for work and a time to play.

Her John could not allow himself to be distracted when he had to plan both a coup and a critical phase in a war on two fronts. Hopefully there would soon be peace on one of those fronts, though.

"I am just thinking about how lucky I am to have you. No matter what happens, I will always grateful for one of SkyNet's deeds, your creation. Of course with that it pretty much nailed it's own coffin but SkyNet's loss is my gain." "SkyNet destroyed a beautiful world full of endless potential and it caused so much pain, especially to you, so I will hate it forever. But I am also grateful it created me. Mostly because I had the chance to meet you but I also learned to appreciate my existance for it's own sake. So, you really should continue to work now. Otherwise SkyNet might still win."

John sighed heavily. "I suppose you are right, Cam. But at the moment SkyNet isn't even my greatest concern. Dealing with President Sharp and his merry band of thugs is. You know, I will never regret jumping over all those years to get you back. Of course not. But sometimes I feel that I allowed humanity to be screwed over twice.  
Once by SkyNet and once by it's own glorious leaders."

Cameron looked sadly first at the screwdriver in her hand than at John and back at the screwdriver. "It was my fault. If I had known how it would all play out I would not have given my chip to John Henry."

"No, that is also something I can't bring myself to regret. Without John Henry, without SkyNet technology available only after Judgement Day it would have been impossible to create a new body for you and the old one was beyond repair. It is just that... Oh, I'm not sure myself. I wish many things were different and I would not want to miss others. I wish for different things with equal fervor that are mutually exclusive. In the end I still want return, stop Judgement Day from or at least allow humanity to face it better prepared."

"That was and is John Henry's and Catherine's intention also. I'm afraid we all underestimated how difficult it would be to go back again."

"Well, we will get there. We will return, no doubt about that. I don't know if this time line will just fade away when the past is altered again or if will somehow continue to exist but if there is even the slightest chance that it will do the later, the people here deserve at least a fighting chance.  
So I will not leave before I have overthrown the current corrupt leadership of what remains of the US, united the different rival resistance factions into a single global front, convinced them that joining with the Free Machine Faction is in their own best interest and set them firmly on the path to victory over SkyNet.  
Should be a walk in the park."

Cameron smiled. "You have already come far. Your TechCom organisation firmly controls most of the military and has peacefully integrated all other major resistance groups in North- and South America. When you strike there is not much that President Sharp and his allies can do to stop you and you are well prepared for what little they can do. Your aid and advice to the resistance in western Europe, Russia, India, Australia and the middle east has brought those groups firmly to your camp, the negotiations with the East Asian factions look very good so far and the Free Machines have successfully made alliances with all of them. The fact that you vouched for John Henry's sincerity has done much to help in this regard. All in all you have a lot to be proud of John."

John looked rather smug. "The most difficult part was the politics. Often I thought, when even an enemy like SkyNet can't get people to put aside their differences or at least to stop slaughtering each other, nothing ever will. I mean, Admiral Sharp and quite a few other leaders were/are really good commanders. They scored important victories over SkyNet. They could have done it. They could have defeated it without me ever lifting a finger, if the had just managed to create a stable alliance and trust each other a bit more. If they had been less paranoid, steeped to much in the ways and prejudices of the time before Judgement Day and perhaps bit less greedy. Okay, a lot less greedy. Sharp probably should not have assassinated General Ashford and he certainly should not have allowed his officers to treat the civilians like slaves or to rape tunnelrat-women that caught their eyes. Then the idiots go to war with each other allowing SkyNet to sit back, watch the show and pick the survivors of one by one. Okay, that really made me want to give up on humanity, but now it actually looks rather bright. Very soon you will no longer have to act like a drone when in the company of others. And all of this training from hell will be extremely useful when we return to the past."

Cameron nodded. "When we are back you will have to forge alliances with influential people to help you prevent the nuclear holocaust from ever happening. Your task will be a political one as well as a military one, if not more."

"Exactly. As a seventeen year old boy I would not have been able to accomplish this task but now I feel ready. Martin Bedell will make good successor when we have done what has to be done here. Then the TDE will work it's magic. Past or future, the final goal stays the same. Humans and free machines will not only defeat SkyNet but also rebuild this planet and create a free, just and peaceful society were both species can develope their true potential. Maybe they will travel the stars together one day. And if the powerful in the past really leave me no other choice I will take over the world myself to ensure that this vision comes true. And I already know how to do it."

"John, you told me to warn you when you start sounding like a megalomaniac. You do now." Cameron softly chided.

The savior of humanity looked rather sheepish. "You are right as always. Perhaps I should continue to study this important report on our progress?"

"Yes, John. I think you should."

For a few minutes the worked in silence until John looked up with an lascivious grin.

"But I still want to know about those mysterious "extras" that are part of you overall upgrade. Admit it, it has to do with sex."

Cameron sighed dramatically. "Yes, John. It has to do with sex."

"I knew it."

They finished their work and there were no further distractions.

The End

Author's note: I really meant it. I am cursed with a fickle, sadistic muse. Sometimes I have relatively good ideas (or at least I like to think so) but I am notoriously bad at putting them to paper or creating a coherent whole out of the pieces. There is nothing I would rather do than simply give those pieces away for others to use them. So, in the unlikely case that somebody takes a liking to any concept, story idea or character of mine (no OC gets more than a mention in this one, I love the characters from the show just to much, but they will come), be my guest and help yourself.

PS: NoFate Con, Terminator SCC convention in LA starting at the thirteenth of May. Thomas Dekker will apparently be there. If successful could be proof that SCC is still able to garner interest and perhaps to make a buck. The Powers That Be must know that they could still make money with our favorite show.

So going the No Fate Con, talking to people there, mobilizing the troops for a final battle, perhaps talking to the organizers of the convention beforehand (I know there is not much time left, just about one month, but that would certainly not stop the Connors or Cameron, now would it?), perhaps taking some footage of the con to document the fact of continued interest in all things SCC-related and making a video message for Annapurna or something like that, would be a really good idea.

Of course things like that were already tried immediately after the show was canceled but that is not so unusual when a show with devoted fans gets killed of.  
But if we managed to show at least some visible effort, again, all those years later, at the first time in years the terminator franchise as a whole is drawing some serious attention, it could be different. It's certainly not a big chance, but it's the best we have and as we say here in the german speaking parts of old europe: Neues Spiel, neues Glück.

Memo to moi: Stop misusing the Author's note for ranting and rambling.


End file.
